Breastfeeding and Jewish Law
A general outline of the laws of breastfeeding. A woman should consult her own Rav for any clarifications.
Read MorePregnancy and Birth
I am Pregnant and Feel I Can Not Handle a Baby Now
Overwhelmed by an unexpected pregnancy? Open up to the possibilities.
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The Three Dollar Miracle
Story of a childless woman and a miracle, told in her own words
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A Trace of Eden
The gift of a mother to her precious child
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Who Is Rich?
Can I afford a large family? Should we have a big family and hope for divine assistance to maintain our standard of living?
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Can a Pregnant Woman Enter a Cemetery?
I have been told it is generally not the done thing in the Jewish religion to go to a cemetery when pregnant...
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Mazel Tov! A Blessing for Mother and Child
During the Yud-Tes Kislev farbrengan of 5747, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, recalled and discussed an interesting age-old custom which has gone out of style in modern times.
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Understanding the Observant Childbirth Experience
Revised from a lecture given to a team of medical care professionals, this article addresses the often misunderstood behavior of observant couples during their hospital stay for birth and recovery.
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A Souls Safe Landing
Please G-d we are expecting a baby soon. We know that if it is a boy then we can't tell anyone his name until the Bris. But why?
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Mazel Tov! Its A Girl
Baby girls do not have a bris (circumcision) with its accompanying pomp and festivity. Are they less important? Are we less joyous and thrilled over their birth than over the birth of a baby boy? Not at all...
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A Message of Blessing for Mother and Child
During the Yud-Tes Kislev farbrengen, 5747, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, recalled and discussed an interesting custom that has been forgotten in modern times.
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Jewish Perspectives on the Birthing Experience
A labor and delivery nurse concludes her report of a newly-delivered primigravida with the following comments: "I have some real concerns...
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Divine Labor
It is written in Torah about the Hebrew women in Egypt, "For they are like midwives, before the midwife comes to them, they have given birth." (Exodus 1:19)
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Shir Hamalos
As expectant women approach their due dates a variety of emotions tend to surface. Some women are filled with excitement, anxiously anticipating the day that they will meet their baby face to face.
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Advice to an Expectant Mother
So, you're pregnant. Mazel Tov! I'm flattered to be asked and please, feel free to call or write anytime for advice.
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The Art of Baby Naming
My wife has entered the seventh month of pregnancy, and we have started discussing names for our baby. She wants something traditional but...
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Happy Birthday!
We are a holy nation of holy people. With every breath we take and every action we do, we can express our spiritual greatness. Birth, especially, is a very elevating experience, and is, in many ways, a lot like Pesach (Passover).
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Birth of A Jewish Child
Many couples have accepted the custom of announcing a pregnancy after the mother enters the fifth month. It does not apply to sharing the news in confidentiality with immediate family.
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A Jewish Education Begins at Birth
Visual images have great impact on man's mind: What one sees can leave lasting impressions for good or bad.[1] Viewing sacred objects or images has positive benefits;[2] pictures of impure animals harm[3] the mind and soul.
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Beautiful, Beautiful Baby Day
April 11, 2006 - two days before Passover. I loaded my grocery cart with Matzoh, wine, grape juice, ground walnuts, romaine lettuce, eggs, Kosher salt - the essentials.
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My Mikvah Baby
I am a Jew, but I am not religious. I light candles Friday night, but don't keep Shabbat. I don't eat pork, but I mix dairy and meat. I don't know the Hebrew prayers, but I speak to G d.
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Jewish Population Control
The Torah speaks of the enslavement and bitter bondage of the Israelites in Egypt. In spite of the back-breaking oppression, the hardship and humiliation, the Jewish people would be forged in the fiery furnace of exile.
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Do You Wish Mazel Tov?
I just found out that a friend is pregnant. She is quite observant so I want to do the right thing. Is it appropriate to say Mazal Tov to a pregnant woman?
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From A Medical Perspective
It was November 2003 when Mara Barth's home pregnancy test revealed the happy news: She and her husband, Jeff, were going to have a baby. But just six weeks into her pregnancy, Mara, then 33, began having cramps followed by some light bleeding.
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Bris Milah - Circumcision
A Jew is commanded to circumcise his son on the eighth day after his birth, when his faculty of reason is not yet developed. This aspect signifies that a Jew is bound and committed to G-d at the earliest opportunity, in an absolute and all comprehensive way that transcends his reason and perception.
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Naming A Child
In general, the giving of a name should be looked upon as a great responsibility that involves serious consideration by the parents. In many places in Kabbalah and Chassidus it is explained...
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Pidyon Haben - Redemption of a First Born Male
G-d originally designated the firstborn as those who would carry out the priestly duty in the Mishkan (Sanctuary). Shortly after receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, the Jewish people collectively committed idolatry by serving the Golden Calf.
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With Woman, With Life
'Midwife' is a word in old German meaning 'with woman'. Historically, as well as today, it categorizes a specific profession in medicine.
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On the Eighth Day
I rush to the hospital to see both mother and newborn baby. To be perfectly honest, I focus much attention on The Baby once I have checked that the new mother is doing well, feeling the way a brand new mother usually feels.
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CEO of the EU (Entire Universe)
Once again, I had the awesome privilege of participating in the birth of a new grandchild. My daughter, who is one of the emissaries of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, OBM, in Milan, Italy, came to visit us in L.A...
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Its A Girl
Why don't we do a "Sholom Nekeiva" (lit. welcome female) upon the birth of a girl, as we do a Sholom Zochor for a baby boy?
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The Eternal Covenant
A Bris is a covenant and through the millennia, Jews have kept this mitzvah like no other and have thereby maintained their eternal covenant with G-d. There were times when giving one's son a bris was punishable by death.
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